Department for Transport

Railways: North of England

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Transport for the North about (1) when the latter's report on the high-speed line between Leeds/Bradford and Manchester will be published, (2) any alternative routes, and (3) further consultation procedures.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Northern Powerhouse Rail Strategic Outline Case is expected to be published once it has been finalised with Transport for the North and approved by the Government, setting out the options under consideration. As with all major transport projects, route consultation will follow at the appropriate time.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on the use of algorithms by their departments.

Lord True: Safe and ethical use of algorithms in the public sector offers major opportunities for government, including improving public service delivery and increasing productivity and efficiency. The Government’s Data Ethics Framework and ‘Guide to Using AI in the Public Sector’, alongside other area-specific guidance available on GOV.UK, support the ethical and safe use of algorithms in the public sector.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Hotels

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hotels are accommodating patients who have been discharged from hospital whilst recovering from COVID-19; and where any such hotels are located.

Lord Bethell: This data is not held centrally. NHS England and NHS Improvement will be evaluating the use of this approach over the coming weeks.

Antidepressants

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many anti-depressants have been dispensed by the NHS in each of the past ten years; and what was the total cost to the NHS.

Lord Bethell: The annual number of anti-depressants that have been prescribed and dispensed in England in the community between 2011-November 2020, the latest data available, is provided in the following table. Information is not held for items dispensed in secondary care. The total cost of prescription items between this period was £2,543,305,593.92Calendar yearNumber of prescription items201146,677,813201250,167,201201353,326,550201457,149,109201561,021,662201664,703,639201767,530,457201870,873,979201974,814,619January - November 202071,801,824 Note:The data provided for the years 2011-2013 was supplied from NHS Digital whilst the data provided for the years 2014-2020 was supplied from the NHS Business Services Authority. Any data prior to 2014 may classify many products in different ways due to a significant reclassification of products.

Antidepressants: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many anti-depressants have been dispensed to (1) people under 18 years old, and (2) primary school children in each of the past ten years; and what was the total cost to the NHS.

Lord Bethell: Information prior to 2015 is not held. The following tables show the number of antidepressant products that were prescribed to under 18 year olds and the subsequent subset of those aged 5 to 11 years old in England on a National Health Service prescription, dispensed in the community in England between April 2015, the earliest age-based data held, and November 2020, the latest data available. Information relating to items dispensed in secondary care is not collected centrally.Number of antidepressant items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged under 18 years old.Calendar yearNumber of prescription items2015 (Nine months from April)233,0942016329,9542017342,9972018361,4362019379,1342020 (11 months up to November)358,835   Number of antidepressant items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged 5 to 11 years old. Calendar yearNumber of prescription items2015 (Nine months from April)9,336201612,988201713,647201814,274201914,5292020 (11 months up to November)14,187 The total cost of prescription items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged under 18 years old, including patients in the 5 to 11 years old age group between April 2015 and November 2020 was £9,110,589.79.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of vaccinationshave been used compared to doses provided for each day since vaccinations started.

Lord Bethell: The information is not available in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all NHS staff who are not UK citizens will be offered COVID-19 vaccinations.

Lord Bethell: Vaccination against COVID-19 is offered to every adult living in the United Kingdom free of charge, regardless of immigration status. For the first phase of the vaccination programme, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation have advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers. This includes foreign National Health Service frontline healthcare workers.

Coronavirus: Lancashire

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 lateral flow tests have been carried out in (1) Lancashire, (2) Pendle and, (3) Burnley, each week since the mass testing programme using these tests started; and whether such tests are now available on request to members of the public whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms.

Lord Bethell: The following table shows the number of tests carried out per week in Lancashire since mass testing in started on 21 October 2020.Week commencingNumber of tests21 October 2020126 October 202012 November 2020359 November 202033116 November 202034723 November 202046230 November 20204,9987 December 20202,97414 December 20203,06521 December 20202,88528 December 20203,5824 January 202115,89911 January 202123,43918 January 202133,45025 January 202150,8441 February 202157,1738 February 202153,08815 February 202132,655 The following table shows the number of tests per week in Pendle since mass testing started on 7 November 2020. Week CommencingNumber of Tests7 November 202029 November 2020516 November 2020523 November 20201130 November 20201397 December 20206314 December 202033421 December 20208328 December 20204354 January 20211,10311 January 20211,35118 January 20212,39725 January 20213,1691 February 20213,3988 February 20213,35415 February 20212,139 The following table shows the number of tests per week in Burnley since mass testing on 13 November 2020. Week CommencingNumber of Tests13 November 2020516 November 2020523 November 20204530 November 20201497 December 20206714 December 202046021 December 202016028 December 20201574 January 202196711 January 20211,83618 January 20212,66525 January 20213,6781 February 20214,1288 February 20213,87215 February 20212,769  From 10 December 2020, rapid regular testing for people without symptoms of COVID-19 has been made available across the country with the eligibility of the community testing programme expanded to cover all 314 lower-tier local authorities.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of care homes in England havenot carried outcontinuous(1) weekly, and (2) monthly, COVID-19 tests of staff and residents at any point since 7 September 2020 as part of their serial testing strategy.

Lord Bethell: The information is not held in the format requested.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Africa: African Union

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the African Union in Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Partnering with African countries and institutions is at the heart of the Government's approach to Africa. The UK-AU Strategic Partnership, signed in February 2019, is testament to this.  The Minister for Africa underlined the importance of the UK-AU partnership when  he met Chairperson Faki at the Ghanaian Presidential inauguration earlier this month. The AU is increasingly assertive and important on global issues of importance to Africa and the UK including climate change, health, trade and COVID recovery. The AU's 54 UN votes and three non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council also give it influence in multilateral fora.The UK strongly supports the role of the AU and its sub-regional organisations. The UK's strategic approach to Africa is closely aligned with the AU's 'Agenda 2063' that sets out the framework and objectives for the AU's work. This includes leading on the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), leading mediation efforts in Sudan and supporting security in the Sahel. The AU is a champion of continental trade, as shown by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which began trading on 1 January 2021. The AU and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have led the continent's response to Covid-19. We are supporting this effort through the provision of technical advice (Public Health England)) and up to £20m. The AU is also a continental leader on climate change. We want to bolster this leadership through the UK-AU Green Recovery Action Plan, signed in November 2019 by the AU Commission and UK COP26 Ambassador for Africa, Sir Nicholas Kay.

Ministry of Defence

Napier Barracks

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long the former Napier barracks were vacant between service personnel leaving and its use to accommodate refugees in 2020.

Baroness Goldie: Prior to the transfer of Napier Barracks to the Home Office on 21 September 2020, the site was last used by military personnel on 10 September 2020 to support military training. It was vacant for 11 days.

Penally Camp

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessmentthey have madeof the suitability of Penally army barracks for use by the British Armed Forces.

Baroness Goldie: Prior to the handover of the site to the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence maintained Penally camp through the National Training Estate Prime (NTEP) contract, which included an inspections regime to maintain legal compliance.

Penally Camp

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long the former army barracks at Penally were vacant after service personnel left; and what assessment was made of the living conditions of the billets upon vacation.

Baroness Goldie: Prior to the transfer of Penally to the Home Office on 21 September 2020, the site was last used by military personnel from 7 to 14 September 2020 to support military training. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) maintained Penally through the National Training Estate Prime (NTEP) contract, which included an inspections regime to maintain legal compliance. No additional assessment of living conditions was made by the MOD upon its vacation by MOD and transfer of use to the Home Office.

Armed Forces: Monuments

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a national memorial to the 395 National Servicemen who were killed in action between 1945 and 1963; and, if not, whether there are plans to establish one.

Baroness Goldie: There is a National Service Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, which recognises the contribution of those who did National Service from 1945 to 1963. In addition, the names of those personnel who were killed in action on National Service between 1948 and 1963 are listed on the Armed Forces Memorial, also at the Arboretum. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorate war dead prior to 1948.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Overseas Workers

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission about (1) changes to employment contracts, and (2) the redundancy terms of EU-based staff.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministry of Defence has been in regular contact with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission regarding the changes to the contractual arrangements for 30 UK staff based in Belgium and France. The Commission have advised that 21 staff have elected to remain in Europe, seven will return to new positions in the UK, and two have chosen to retire. As a result of this engagement, including between the Secretary of State for Defence and the Commission, the support package for all staff has been considerably enhanced.

Type 45 Destroyers: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Type 45 Power Improvement Project will be completed in all ships of the class.

Baroness Goldie: I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin), in the House of Commons on 8 June 2020 to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Douglas Chapman), in response to Question numbers 53459 and 53460.Type 45 Destroyers: Repairs and Maintenance (docx, 16.3KB)

Northern Ireland Office

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount of Annually Managed Expenditurewhich was earmarked for the payment of Renewable Heat Incentive Schemes was not so used by the Northern Ireland Executive in each of the last three financial years.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme is administered by the Department for the Economy in the NI Executive, while devolved fiscal matters are for the Department of Finance. A consultation document on the future of the RHI scheme has been published by DfE and includes information on the Annually Managed Expenditure budget for the last three years. It is of course vital that there is accountability for public spending and the Executive is building sustainable public services. That is why the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has pushed for the establishment of an Independent Fiscal Council, as per the New Decade, New Approach agreement. Such a body would provide an assessment of the Executive’s spending proposals and consider the sustainability of the Executive’s public finances, including the implications of spending policy and the effectiveness of long-term efficiency measures.

Treasury

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: South Yorkshire

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been paid in payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in each parliamentary constituency inSouth Yorkshire to date.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The value of claims split by Parliamentary Constituency is not available. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme provides funds to PAYE schemes to support employers to pay a proportion of the wages of furloughed staff. The registered address for PAYE schemes can be in a different area to that where their employees live and work. In addition, for PAYE schemes claiming for between one and 99 employments there was no requirement to specify the amount claimed for each employment. As a consequence, it is not possible to provide reliable figures for the monetary value of the support provided by geographical area.

Public Sector: VAT

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whathas been the outcome of their invitation for stakeholders to respond to their policy paperVAT and the Public Sector: Reform to VAT refund rules, publishedin August 2020.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government is currently reviewing the responses received following the publication of the policy paper. The Government will announce its next steps in due course.

Musical Instruments: Customs

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 15 February (HL12770), whether (1) ATA Carnets, and (2) portable musical instruments, are included on the List of Goods Applicable to Oral and By Conduct Declarations.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The ATA Carnet system is an internationally agreed method of moving certain goods between customs territories temporarily (i.e. a passport for goods). An ATA Carnet simplifies the customs formalities by allowing a single document to be used for clearing goods through customs in the countries that are part of the ATA Carnet system. The ATA Carnet must be presented to customs for endorsement each time the goods enter or leave a customs territory. This is currently a manual, paper-based process and therefore not appropriate for oral and by conduct declarations. It is valid for one year and allows for movement of the goods shown on the Carnet as many times as required during the 12 months to any of the destinations applied for. Portable musical instruments are on the List of Goods Applicable to Oral and By Conduct Declarations.

Off-payroll Working

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the changesto the off-payroll working rules will start to apply for those large or medium-sized companies that do not meet the simplified test conditions; and whether they will make changes to their online guidanceto clarify the start date for those companies.

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the start date of the new IR35 regulations for large or medium companies which do not meet the simplified test conditions; andwhat plans they have to ensure that the start date is clearly stated on their IR35 website.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The reform of the off-payroll working rules will come into effect for large or medium-sized organisations outside the public sector from 6 April 2021. Organisations will need to consider whether they meet the conditions of a large or medium-sized organisation in the financial year relevant to the tax year 2021/22. In order to help businesses prepare and apply the rules, HMRC have published guidance on the definition of a large or medium-sized organisation.[1] The simplified test conditions apply to non-corporate entities only. HMRC’s online guidance reflects the 6 April 2021 implementation date. HMRC are committed to supporting organisations and individuals in the run up to, and beyond the reform being implemented. HMRC are providing webinars, workshops and one-to-one calls, as well as publishing updated guidance and factsheets to enable organisations to prepare. [1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/april-2020-changes-to-off-payroll-working-for-clients